Bruce Bisset: Seeing light no political sin

Anna Lorck's one-time help with a National campaign does not paint her true blue, nor does it irrevocably taint her candidacy as a member of the red brigade, writes Bisset. Photo / Glenn Taylor

Ever noticed how when someone from a working-class background becomes a right-wing greed merchant they're lauded a self-made success, but when the reverse happens and a monetarist develops a social conscience, they're automatically derided as soft in the head.

It's almost religious: a left-winger jumping on the neoliberal bandwagon is praised for seeing the light that shines out of where the sun don't; but a blue-rinse turning red or green is smeared as if fallen from grace.

Which is particularly curious since there's nothing remotely spiritual or uplifting about gouging profits out of others' labour - what almost everyone has to do to get rich - yet there definitely are those tints with folk who meekly care for the elderly or infirm, or the natural environment, or simply support the right of their fellows to a little justice and fairness in their lives.

I was reminded of this sadly contrary perception with the hoo-hah over local Labour candidate Anna Lorck. One-time help with a National campaign does not paint her true blue, nor does it disqualify or irrevocably taint her candidacy as a member of the red brigade.

Yet that's how it's being portrayed.

Even if she did get sucked into the charming assassin's fan club, so did many others. And if, like many others, she's now seen through the screen of smarm to the lies and rorts by which this Government operates, then good for her. That's not a minus - it's a major plus.

But to hear her opponent, Craig Foss, tell it, she's betrayed some sacred trust and should be hounded mercilessly for the sin of reformation.

Mind you, it surprises me that Lorck, with a marketing/PR background, could make the mistake of trying to deny her former foibles instead of turning it back on the mockers with a firm "so what" that shows she now has her head on straight.

But, sadly, the image-conscious generations seem so concerned about any hint of a hair out of place they fail to appreciate the inherent gravitas of an honest change of heart.

Far better to promote strengths than to bicker pettily over negatives.

Political naivete from Lorck is excusable, but that's a lesson Foss certainly should have learned by now. Apparently not.

Nor the Nats in general, it seems. The beat-up of Labour leader David Cunliffe over his letter on behalf of then-constituent and random party donator Donald Liu at base reflects worse on National than on Labour.

First because it's obviously an attempt to distract from their own, dirtier dealings with the now-infamous Mr Liu, and secondly because Cunliffe was simply doing his job in writing to officials to ask what the state of play was.

There's no suggestion as there was in Maurice Williamson's case of any pressure on officials by Cunliffe, nor indeed any hint of favour. He (or a staff member) merely acted as any of us would like to expect, were we to seek help from our local MP. So what's the problem?

It's purely a perception trap. And because wealth does bad things almost as a matter of course, it assumes lesser mortals act with the same motivations and intent. They don't.

John Key and Paula Bennett are pertinent examples of how money enables someone to denigrate their roots: having risen far above the social welfare garden, they're now happy to scorch the earth beneath them, doubtless lest another super-weed grows to usurp them.

But people of good heart are not fooled, or at least not fooled for long. About as long as until September 20, I'd say.

That's the right of it.

Bruce Bisset is a freelance writer and poet.